The place shook with the sound of the monsters' groans, but suddenly everything changed. The random movements stopped, and the creatures retreated one by one into the darkness, as if something bigger was coming. Only one remained… a monster taller than the others, its body covered in two deep gashes on its back, emitting a faint black vapor, and its breathing sounded like a cold metallic whistle.
It didn't give them time to think, but in an instant, it pounced like a black flash. No one could even scream. One glance, then the sharp sound of piercing flesh… the monster's claw pierced Kaito's chest.
Tsuki screamed at the top of her lungs:
"KAITTOOOO!!"
The rest froze, their eyes widening with every drop of blood that hit the ground. The monster slowly withdrew its hand, the sound of ripping flesh making their bodies shudder.
But… what happened next made even their breaths catch.
The wound that should have killed it… began to heal. Flesh regenerated, blood returned to his veins, and his torn clothes revealed a chest devoid of any trace of stabbing.
Kaito slowly raised his head. His eyes were completely black, and only the cold silver pupils shone.
Then those marks appeared… six black slits, three on each side, stretching from his eyes to the middle of his cheeks, like the scars of a demon.
The atmosphere changed… the air felt heavy even for the monster's breath. The ground itself trembled faintly.
Minamoto, despite everything, muttered in a low voice as he clenched his fist:
"Not now… damn it, not now."
The other monsters that had been watching from the darkness… fled.
They disappeared into the depths of the tunnels without a sound, as if they had never existed. The two-slitted monster remained alone, but there was no longer any fear in it. Madness filled its eyes, and it pounced again, faster than before.
In that instant, Kaito was gone.
No one saw how… or when. He appeared above the monster in an instant, his right arm extended, black slits glowing faintly along its length, his fingers like invisible claws. Then...
A single voice broke the silence:
"Shh ... As for Minamoto, he stood far away, staring at Kaito with eyes full of mystery and worry, before muttering to himself in a barely audible voice: "So… it has begun."
Everyone sat catching their breath after the battle, the sounds of ragged breathing echoing in the darkness that filled the room. Tsuki was silently tending to Kaito's wounds, while Hiro Shin let out a nervous laugh as he tried to break the deadlock, but no one laughed. The monsters were gone, but the weight of fear remained.
A short distance away, Minamoto was watching Kaito with sharp eyes, the look of someone who knew what he was seeing before him was more than just human.
Minutes passed, and then Minamoto suddenly stood up and said, his voice low enough for Kaito to hear:
"Follow me... we need to talk."
Kaito didn't reply, but stood up and walked quietly behind him. They walked away from the team until darkness enveloped them once more. There, Minamoto stopped and turned slowly, his eyes shining under the dim light of the bracelets.
Minamoto (in a deep, calm voice, concealing his anger):
"That's the truth... you were never human. And you never will be."
Kaito remained silent, his features expressionless, but his hand clenched unconsciously.
Minamoto (stepping forward):
"Do you think your loss of memories will continue? One day... you'll remember everything. Even that man."
He raised his eyes toward the shadows as if conjuring up an image, then added in a harsher voice:
"The one you call your father... is not your father. You don't even have a family."
A heavy silence fell, as if the tunnels had blocked their breath.
Minamoto (in a harsh whisper):
"And one day... they'll all abandon you."
Seconds that felt like an eternity passed before Kaito answered, his voice low but his words carrying weight:
"You're right... everything's as you said. And one day... I might kill you all."
He raised his head, his eyes cold as a sword in its sheath:
"But we can't go back now. It's too late. It's... a matter of life and death."
Minamoto smiled a sly smile, half threatening, half mocking. "There will come a day... when you'll show your true colors. And then... killing you won't be painful."
Kaito didn't reply. Silence fell again, the sound of their footsteps as they returned to the team like an alarm that no one had heard yet.
When they arrived, Tsuki lifted her head to look at Kaito, her expression worried, but she said nothing. Minamoto sat in silence, watching Kaito with a look that suggested the game hadn't even begun yet.
Fin chapter